The research observatories at Neumayer Station III
meteorologisches Messfeld (2007)
mit Ballonhalle im Hintergrund
The meteorological observatory is designed as a radiation and climate monitoring station. Measurements of radiation are carried out on a large scale as part of a global observation network to detect long-term changes in the Earth's radiation budget and their impacts on climate. Every three hours weather data are transmitted to other Antarctic stations and into the global meteorological data network (GTS), where they are used for weather forecasting, for example. Since 1992 vertical ozone profiles belong to the regular observations.
Aurora australis
over Neumayer Station
on 23th of May 2007
The geophysical observatory detects earthquakes around the world and continuously registers the temporal fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field and the tidal movements of the ice shelf. In addition to these observations, detailed investigations of local earthquakes are carried out with the help of remote stations up to 80 kilometres away. Furthermore, is hosts the infrasound station IS27.
The air chemistry observatory measures atmospheric concentrations of trace gases, such as ozone, and minute particles of dust in the air. The isolated location makes it a valuable reference site for measuring under conditions of extreme air purity. The research program is flexibly designed so that new analytical methods and current problems in air chemistry can be swiftly integrated. In addition, the proximity to the ice margin permits the detection of substances released from the ocean to the atmosphere.
PALAOA
Observatory
(2007)
The Perennial Acoustic Observatory in the Antarctic Ocean (PALAOA) records the underwater soundscape in the vicinity of the ice shelf edge continuously. The recorded data are transmitted via wireless LAN from PALAOA to the German Neumayer Base at a distance of 13 km. From there, a permanent satellite link transmits a highly compressed acoustic livestream to the AWI in Bremerhaven.
These long-term recordings allow for the first time studying the acoustic repertoire and behaviour of whales and seals year-round in an environment almost undisturbed by humans. Beyond bioacoustcis the research focuses on investigating the frequency of occurrence and intensity of natural background sounds for example caused by calving ice shelf or colliding icebergs.